Andy Heyward Collectable Animation Cel Art

Andy Heyward Animation Art is the exclusive destination for limited edition hand painted, signed and numbered animation cels, based on programs either created by, written by, or produced by Andy Heyward.

Some of these go back to his early days as a writer at Hanna Barbera, others during his years at DIC Entertainment, and others today as CEO and Chairman of Genius Brands International. From Hanna Barbera, those include cartoons such as Scooby Doo and the Smurfs, Harlem Globetrotters, and Yogi’s All Star Laff -A-Lympics. From DIC Entertainment they include cartoons such as Inspector Gadget, Real Ghostbusters, Heathclifff, and Dennis the Menace. Others are G.I. Joe, Captain Planet, Strawberry Shortcake, Care Bears, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, the Archies, Super Mario Brothers, Sonic the Hedgehog, Street Sharks, Sailor Moon, Madeline, and Carmen Sandiego, Alvin and the Chipmonks, Hello Kitty, Alf, Super Dave, The Littles, and many others.

Joe Mariam, a well known marketer and collector of animation cels, had been in the business of marketing animated cels for many years, and recognized the growing importance of the market. Joe proposed to Andy that they start an exclusive destination to sell animated cels based on his shows. For many years, animated cartoons were made by photographing characters painted and inked on acetate cels, put in front of backgrounds and then shot in front of a special animation camera. It would take many thousands of cels to produce a simple half hour episode cartoon. Over the years, a business sprouted up of cel art. They began with Disney and Warner Brothers, and spread to Hanna Barbera and elsewhere. Today, however, all the cartoons we see are made by computer. Painted animation cels no longer exist, as an art form.

Joe’s idea was to create ORIGINAL hand painted animation cels. To do limited editions. Sign and number them, and then stop each run at number 50, to keep them scarce and values high. Andy said, this sounded like a great idea, but only if we can find the right creative person to produce the prototype cels, backgrounds, and oversee production with a strict quality control to make a truly special product.

It was at this time, that he remembered his old friend Iraj Paran. Iraj was the creative director of Hanna Barbera in its glory days. He worked closely with Bill Hanna and Joe Barbera in the production of all the art for their many classic programs. They re-connected with each other, and Andy and Joe proposed that Iraj would join them to form this creative partnership to relaunch this lost art form. Iraj, was more creative than ever and put together a brilliant plan to have the cels made under his direction.

The only problem is the materials had changed, the paints were hard to come by, but most of all, there were no cel painters anymore. Everything was done by computer. The precious talents that inked and painted those cels and backgrounds, were no more. We wanted true hand painted animation cels. After several false starts in China and elsewhere, we found some of the old timers, who used to be cel painters…put a small team together and drafted them back to active duty. We chose 4 properties from which to begin Andy Heyward Animation Art, because of their originality, and the iconic partners we had on each of those shows. Stan Lee, Ted Turner, and Warren Buffett.

For Inspector Gadget, we will do two original compositions. For Stan Lee’s Cosmic Crusaders, we have done 3 featuring different super heroes, and Stan Lee himself. For Captain Planet, there will be one, and for Warren Buffett’s Secret Millionaires Club, there will be one.

Every single cel will be hand painted, and signed by Andy Heyward, himself. In addition to Andy Heyward’s original signature, the originals of each of Stan Lees’s Cosmic Crusaders, Captain Planet, and Warren Buffett’s Secret Millionaires Club, will be signed respectively by Stan Lee, Ted Turner(CoCreator/Co-Producer), and Warren Buffett. The original signatures of those 3 are flawlessly reproduced onto each cel. All cels will be numbered from 1/50 to 50/50, and will be signed. Then the run of that particular composition will end. No more will be made. Each cel will also come with an official AHAA seal, and a signed Certificate of Authenticity for that specific cel, by Andy Heyward himself. Come inside to our virtual art gallery. You will find these 4 properties on exhibit and for sale today. Come back. More original animation art will be coming from many of the great programs and brands that Andy helped make.